ӺᎥᏒᏋᏂᏋᏝᏝ (Hellfire Reversed)

Hellfire

“Hellfire! Dark fire! Now gypsy, it's your turn!”―Lyric from the song


"Hellfire" is a song from Disney's 1996 animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The song, sung by the film's main antagonist Judge Claude Frollo, was intended to contrast with the song "Heaven's Light", that was sung by Quasimodo moments earlier as he expressed his feelings of love for Esmeralda, while later, Frollo sings of his lust for Esmeralda. After Frollo had commenced his melodic soliloquy and had sung in front of the fireplace for some time, he asks the Virgin Mary (referred to by Frollo as, "Beata Maria") to not, "let the siren cast her spell" and to not "let her fire dear my flesh and bone". He proceeds to request vehemently to "Destroy Esmeralda" and to "let her taste the fires of Hell!", or to "let her be mine and mine alone", which indictes Frollo's great sexual desire for Esmeralda.

After this prolonged segment, there was a dialogue interruption, in which one of his guards informs him about the gypsy's escape from the cathedral. The judge vows to "burn down all of Paris," and the song resumes. As the song continues, Frollo sings lines in front of the fireplace, which gives the gypsy, Esmeralda, an ultimatum - to choose him (become his mistress) or to be condemned to eternal suffering and tribulation in Hell, "Choose me or your pyre, Be mine or you will burn,". The song closes with Frollo praying for God to have mercy upon Esmeralda and himself - the scene possess dark imagery of figures/silhouettes flowing past the judge holding crucifixes - he reiterates his demand and the song finishes as he collapses in the shape of a Petrine Cross.

This song is considered to be one of the darkest songs in any Disney film, depicting Hell, damnation, lust, and sin, examples of subject matter that would generally be considered inappropriate for younger children. The sequence contains also heavy visuals to match the lyrics, including provocative dancing from images of Esmeralda in the fire.

Synopsis

The song opens as Frollo overlooks the night-lit city from the balcony of the cathedral and sings that he is better than the other people in Paris. As he heads inside, he admits he is disturbed about his lustful feelings for Esmeralda, which he feels is turning him to sin, and prays to the Virgin Mary for help. As Frollo approaches his fireplace, he threatens to burn Esmeralda if she will not be his mistress. Eventually, he passes out as night dawns upon him.

#Firehell #Hellfire #JudgeClaudeFrollo